San Gregorio Maggiore, Spoleto
Exterior of San Gregorio Maggiore, Spoleto. Photo © Santa Susanna.
Romanesque frescoed interior of San Gregorio. Photo © Santa Susanna.
Frescoes in the porch of San Gregorio. Photo © Bill Thayer.
The 11th-century Romanesque church of San Gregorio Maggiore in Spoleto replaced an earlier oratory in a cemetery of Christian martyrs. Remains from the 700s AD are incorporated into the present structure.
The church's namesake saint was killed in a spectacle at the nearby amphitheater in 304 AD, as were a supposed 10,000 other martyrs whose bones symbolically reside beneath the altar.
The bell tower is a cobbled-together affair, with a base dating from the early Christian period and the upper reaches refined in the 1500s. The porch is also from the 1500s.
A 1950s restoration carefully returned the interior to its medieval state, removing most Baroque additions to reveal the Romanesque architecture and large patches of 14th-century frescoes by local artists.
The presbytery is full of architectural spoglio (salvage) from differing epochs – a 6th-century Byzantine capital here, some medieval cosmatesque pavement there. It is raised several meters above the nave on dozens of tiny, mismatched pillars to allow for a little crypt underneath.
Quick Facts
| Name: | San Gregorio Maggiore |
| Date: | Built 1069-1146 |
| Architecture: | Romanesque |
| Location: | Spoleto, Umbria, Italy |
| Phone: | 0743-44-140 |
| Hours: | Daily 9am to noon and 4 to 6pm |
| Cost: | Free |
Location Map
Below is a location map and aerial view of San Gregorio Maggiore. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our Spoleto Map or get our free Google Earth download.
Sources
- Frommer's Florence, Tuscany & Umbria, 4th Edition
- The Rough Guide to Italy 7 (May 2005), 651-52.
